Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Why are the Republicans blowing it?

First, please do not misunderstand my headline: It'll be fine with me if the Republicans fail to win the Senate. What astounds me is that there is any chance of failure. Given the unpopularity of this President -- given the weak economy and the many deceits on the foreign policy front -- you'd think that this election would be an easy blowout for the GOP. A game-changer. An election which Dems of future decades will shudder to recall.

The Republicans could have a history-making night if it were in their political DNA to moderate their messaging just a bit. But no. They can't do it. Brent Budowsky has it right:
Obviously President Obama’s unpopularity hurts Democrats. But Republican hatred of Obama does not a Senate majority make. Right-wing anger, vindictiveness, dog whistles and derision do not create one job, make life better for one woman or make one American town safer. Serious and concerned voters want more, which is why the GOP wave has not materialized and so many Southern and red-state Democrats are still standing after a year of onslaughts, attacks and, at times, flat-out lies arrayed by the armies of the right against them.
Right now, Budowsky is predicting a 50/50 Senate with Independent Greg Orman winning his Kansas seat and playing a God-like role, or something like that. I rather fancy that scenario, although I think Budovsky is being too optimistic. I'm still predicting a GOP win -- a narrow win.

If the Republicans could shake their addiction to insane statements, they would not have to content themselves with an eked-out victory. They would clobber the opposition.

Wanna know the race I'm watching most carefully? Kentucky. I would love to see Alison Grimes defeat Mitch McConnell, one of my least-favorite politicians. If Grimes wins, I will be a happy man -- no matter what else occurs in election night.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's see--the Republicans have no f**cking message besides Obama hate 24/7 and screaming FREEDOM at every turn. Despite the fictional 'autopsy' in 2012, they've had no outreach or moderate message for workers, for women, African Americans, Hispanics or the gay community. The chant jobs, jobs, jobs but haven't lifted a finger to increase employment [like infrastructure investment]. They spew all kinds of nonsense and outright lies about Climate change and sustainable energy research. They've turned fear mongering and conspiracy into an art form. Their basic fallback position is hatred and bigotry, be it Muslims or Ebola patients or Liberals or immigrants or flavor of the month. And oh yes, they call themselves God-fearing Christians.

The Republican Party is completely bankrupt. I have plenty of complaints about the Dems but the GOP is thoroughly grotesque. They blew themselves up with GW & Cheney. It's been downhill ever since.

If they blow it in November, the fault is fully theirs because the dead thing they're dragging around doesn't need an autopsy. It needs a burial.

Peggysue

William said...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/08/yes-the-senate-is-ignoring-hundreds-of-bills-passed-by-the-gop-house-but-its-always-that-way/


What I am afraid of is that if the Republicans gain the majority in the Senate the norm will change, there will not longer be deadlock. The Republican Senate will change the rules of the filibuster just enough to allow all the Republican bills to be passed by the Senate. Obama will then have to veto them. The bad consequences of any vetoed bills will be blamed both on Obama and on the failure of the Democrats to vote yes. This claim will be used in the 2016 election. They will also put far right wing riders on critical bills such as the debt ceiling bill. Forcing the Senate Democrats to override the President's veto in order to save the world economy. And If things do go bad the Democrats will be blamed and the Republicans will win the White House 2017. After that things will return to the “normal” boom and bust cycle with low wages, high sales taxes and user fees, and zero Corporate and inheritance taxes. There will also be unlimited temporary guest workers who will never be allowed to become citizens. And as for Obama care it will be changed so that it will be unrecognisable. That will just be the start. As for future elections voting rights will be changed so that elected Democrats will never again be in the majority.

Anonymous said...

It isn't going to matter any longer who controls the government since climate change will usher in so many negatives (oh like the inability to grow enough food, flooding in some areas and droughts in others, huge storms "we've never seen" before, more war for the remaining resources, social, economic and health-care collapse, the dying ocean, Fukushima, pollution of every sort, etc) that they'll be effectively useless - as will the military and police state. Within 5 years these will be the good ol' days. It's all down hill from here - and at an increasing rate.

JB said...

It's not going to be be narrow. Democrats, and liberal media allies, and conservatives that don't know jack but whom democrats listen to when they say something they like, do this every time. 2010, 2002, that's what this looks like to me.

53 Republicans, and the Indy from Kansas caucuses with the R's.

Doesn't matter anyway.